Louver construction



P. L. GATES LOUVER CONSTRUCTION Oct. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 25, 1952 F|G.|O. i

m Z F 6 6 PINER LYNFI'INIEELEZ Oct. 18, 1955 FIG. l2.

FIG. I4.

PINER LYNN CATES United States Patent ()fiice 2,720,938 Patented Oct.18, 1955 LOUVER CONSTRUCTION Piner Lynn Cates, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application August 25, 1952, Serial No. 306,238

1 Claim. (Cl. 183-75) This invention relates to a louver constructionfor use in the removal of moisture or drops of liquids from streams ofair or the like. The invention is useful in the removal of water from agaseous stream and, particularly, in the removal of water from air inair cooling systems.

An object of this invention is to provide a louver construction whichmay be manufactured in quantity rapidly, easily, and economically,rendering it available for widespread use.

A particular object is to provide a louver construction including aone-piece section of louvers. A further object is to provide aconstruction including a louver section which may be manufactured from asingle sheet of material, employing blanking and forming dies to producesections of louvers.

An additional object is to provide a louver construction including alouver section which will receive a like section nested in it, toincrease the number of louvers in the path of an air stream or the likewhen desired.

Another object is to provide a louver construction including a pluralityof louver sections positioned in side by side relation, wherein theindividual sections are so constructed that they may be positioned withtheir louvers positioned reversely with respect to each adjacentsection. A further object is to furnish a construction including spacerson each section cooperating with adjoining sections to automaticallyposition the sections in correct relation.

An important object of this invention is to provide a louverconstruction for use in evaporative air coolers, particularly the homeand small building type of cooler. Air coolers of this type must bemanufactured to sell at low price, to make them available to the public.At the same time, they must be relatively small, to be installed in andaccommodated by small buildings. They must also be durable and efiicientwhile easily assembled and disassembled. Heretofore, there have beensupplied units which include porous mats of excelsior or the like, orother materials over which water is caused to flow and through which airis passed for cooling. Such units have a number of objectionablefeatures. The mats become filled with dirt, requiring disassembly andrepacking with new material. Channeling of the water frequently results,decreasing the cooling resulting. It is ditficult to regulate theporosity of the mats to give proper cooling and sufiicient flow of air.Breaks and thin sections may occur in the mats, leaving the interior ofa room visible from the outside and decreasing the efliciency. Themoisture content of the air is often excessive, there being inadequateor no provision for water removal after cooling. It is therefore anobject of the invention to eliminate these and other objectionablefeatures by providing a louver construction which is positioned in thepath of a stream of cool, wet air, such as results from the passage ofwarmer air through a spray or stream of water. Although the newconstruction could be added to the mat type cooler if desired,eliminating some of the disadvantages of the latter, there is no longerneed for mats or the like, and they can be replaced entirely by louvers.

Additional objects include: Providing a louver construction suitable fora variety of uses and which can be positioned however desired,horizontally, vertically or otherwise; providing a constructionincluding means for restricting the movement of separated liquid andallowing it to drain away; and providing a construction which can beplaced in a gas stream parallel or perpendicular to the path of flow.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be apparent froma consideration of the following description and the accompanyingdrawing of preferred embodiments of the invention, in which the variousparts are identified by like reference characters in each of the views,and in which Figure 1 is a broken lower perspective view of a louversection embodying the features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a broken lower elevational view of the louver section ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of two louver sections of thetype in Figure 1, in side by side relation, one section being nested inthe other;

Figure 4 is an enlarged broken upper perspective view of two louversections with their spacer flanges projecting oppositely to those shownin the foregoing views, one

' section being nested in the other in the manner shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a broken lower elevational view of the louver sections shownin Figure 4, from the reverse side thereof;

Figure 6 is a broken elevational view of a lower corner of anotherconstruction of a louver section;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view of a louver construction,showing an alternate position of a baflie;

Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of a louver construction, showingnested pairs of louver sections parallel to each other and in side byside relation and with the louvers of each pair positioned reverselywith respect to those of adjacent pairs, and indicating the path of airflow therethrough;

Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of a louver construction, showing twolouver sections in side by side relation and with the louvers of eachsection positioned reversely with respect to those of the other section,and indicating the path of air flow;

Figure 10 is a broken upper end elevational view of two louver sectionsin side by side relation and with the louvers of each section positionedreversely with respect to those of the other section.

Figure 11 is a broken perspective view of a louver section including thebaflie' position shown in Figure 7;

Figure 12 is a broken lower perspective view of two nested louversections having the baflie position shown in Figure 7;

Figures 13 and 14 are schematic plan views of louver constructionscontaining sections of the type shown in Figure 11 and indicating thepath of air flow; and

Figures 15 and 16 are schematic plan views of alternate louverconstructions having baflie position shown in Figure 7 and indicatingthe path of air flow.

The louver section 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a body 2 of sheetmaterial, a row of substantially parallel equidistantly spaced louvers 3integral with the body at the inner edge 4 of each louver and projectinglaterally and angularly from the body. In preferred construction, thelouvers 3 project at acute angles from the body 2, angles of aboutdegrees being further preferred for high efficiency. For certainpurposes, the louvers may project at right angles from the body, asshown in Figures 15 and 16. The outer edge 5 of each louver issubstantially parallel to its inner edge 4, and a baflle 6 is formed ineach louver along and projecting laterally from its outer edge.Alternatively, a bafiie 612 may be formed in each louver along its inneredge 4 and on the opposite side of the louver from the baflie 6, asshown in Figure 7, for example.

The body 2 has a row of generally rectangular openings 7, each of whichcorresponds in size and shape to a louver 3. When a louver section isconstructed by blanking and forming a sheet'of materiaL preferablyductile, corrosionresistant metal, the louvers 3 are partly cut out ofthe sheet, leaving in the body 2 the openings 7 which follow theoutlines of the louvers before the baflies 6 or 6a are formed. Theoperative surface of the louvers 3 and their baffles 6 overlie part oftheir corresponding openings 7. To provide maximum capacity, there isprovided between adjacent louvers 3 inwardly extending portions of thebody 2 merely suflicient to secure the louvers to the body, theseportions being numbered 8 in Figure 1, showing triangular portions ofthe body integral with the inner edges 4 of the louvers 3, and 9 inFigure 6, showing a rounded edge on each portion. Referring to Figures 2and 6, in the preferred construction, the distance a between successiveportionsS, or 9, is at least one-half the distance b betweencorresponding edges of successive portions. As will appear, thisconstruction allows for equidistant spacing of louvers in an assembly ofnested louver sections.

At each of the upper and lower edges of the body 2 is a spacer flange10, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from the body for adistance preferably as great as or greater than the perpendiculardistancefrom the edgesS of the louvers 3 to the body 2, as shown inFigures 3 and 10. The spacer flange automatically spaces the louversections 1 properly when positioned alongside of each other. The flanges10 are shown as projecting over the louvers 3, as in Figure 1, and inthe opposite direction from the louvers, as in Figure 4, the former construction being preferred. The flanges 10 also act as basesin thesections 1.

The louver sections 1 are assembled to form a construction wherein atleast two sections are positioned side by side and nested within eachother or having their bodies spaced at least as far as their louversproject, or a combination of both constructions. In a preferredconstruction, sections are arranged side by side with the louvers of onesection reversed with respect to those of the other, as shown in Figures9, 10, 13 and 14. The reversal is accomplished by rotating the ends ofone section 180 degrees about its transverse axis. With the preferredangles of about 60 degrees between the louvers 3 and the body 2, thelouvers overlie their corresponding openings 7 for about one-half of thewidth of the openings. When the distances a and b are then as describedabove, an additional louver section 1 may be nested in each section withthe'resulting alternate louvers spaced equidistantly, as shown inFigures}, 4, 5, 8, l2 and 13, doubling the louver surface in the path ofair flow and extending completely across the openings 7. With thedistance a just one-half the distance b, equidistant spacing is easily,achieved. Alternatively, more than two sections can be nested withineach other.

Louver sections 1 wherein the louvers 3 project at right angles from thebody 2 may be arranged in side by side relation and with the louvers ofeach section facing in the same direction, as shown for example inFigure 15,

efiective length along the path of air flow is generally employed.

In use, a plurality of the louver sections 1 is assembled, and theassembly is inserted in a system designed for the removal of water fromair, for example, in the path of flow of the air, in a manner such asillustrated in Figures 8, 9, or l316, the air flowing as indicated bythe arrows. Rows of single sections, as in Figure 9, or of nested pairsof sections, as in Figure 8, or a combination of the two may be employedas desired. One set of nested sections may suffice for some purposes. Aswet air strikes the louvers 3, water separates from the air and collectson the louvers, draining down their sides. The stream of air will movesome of the separated water forwardly on the louvers, and the baflies 6check this water flow and prevent the water from being carried back intothe air stream, the water draining down the bafiles instead. When thebaflies 6a are employed along the inner edges 4 of the louvers, insteadof the baifles 6 along the outer edges 5, thedirection of air flowthrough the louver sections 1 is reversed, with the operative surfacesof the louvers 3 and their baffles 6a overlying part of the openings 7on an adjacent section 1. In some constructions, a bafiie may beunnecessary or undesirable and therefore omitted, as

shown in Figure 6. Other positions of the louver sections 1 furnish thesame or similar results.

The invention is not limited to the specific constructions shown anddescribed, but may be made in many ways within the scope of the appendedclaim.

I claim:

A louver construction and arrangement comprising rectangular bodies ofsheet material, each said body having a row of parallel louversintegrally formed therein and connected with said body at their endsonly, all of said louvers in each said body angularly projecting fromthe same surface thereof, perpendicular flanges formed along oppositesides of said bodies, the widths of said flanges being at least equal tothe projecting distance of said louvers relative to said body surfaces,bafiies on the extending edges of said louvers, said bodies being inaligned parallel relation with respect to each other and having adjacentsaid flanges in contact therewith, and a rectangular housing havingopenings in opposite ends thereof, said bodies being snugly received insaid housing and transversely positioned with respect to the openingtherethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,434,154 San Oct. 31, 1922 1,616,297 Alber Feb. 1, 1927 1,761,177Bradshaw et al June 3, 1930 1,855,381 Bubar Apr. 26, 1932 1,883,456Ashley Oct. 18, 1932 1,896,656 Anderson Feb. 7, 1933 2,357,734 HaberSept. 5, 1944 2,506,273 Linderoth May 2, 1950

